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June 24, 2015 By Neha Morche Leave a Comment

Bone health for life and ways to make them strong

I am not sure how many in India have watched this ad commercial on television which shows a woman asking her friend “what do you do for calcium” and other answers “Milk”…the friend repeats her question again and says “I understand Milk but, what do you do for calcium”, the second lady repeats ‘Milk’ again…

Basically, the first woman was trying to find out for the absorption of calcium from milk what does she do? The answer to this question is plain and simple-Vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for the absorption of calcium. If Vitamin D level drops from the blood, calcium will not get absorbed. Therefore it is imperative that an individual always checks vitamin D level before popping in calcium tablets.

What is the bone made up of? Calcium is the answer that most people would give. Agreed but, along with that phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, folic acid, vitamin c, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin K, vitamin B complex, fats, proteins are also necessary for healthy bones. Foods sources are milk and milk products, dark leafy vegetables, soyabean, oil seeds, carrot juice etc

Bones are an integral part of the weight of the human body. They are the substance which forms our skeleton…and because of the skeleton our body looks well structured. Bone formation starts from the womb itself and continues till the age of puberty. When we are young bone growth is faster and as we Age it becomes slow and in the latter stages of life age it becomes brittle (the condition is called osteoporosis). We have to look after our bone health from early stages of life. Here are the factors which affects bones.

Calcium and vitamin D in your diet- Less of this will not form a good bone density so early bone loss and there is an increased risk of fractures.
Physically inactive: Our body is meant to move and be active in order to developing in terms of healthy bones.
Tobacco and alcohol (You might want to explain here how tobacco and alcohol lead to weak bone)
Age: Bones become thinner and weaker as you age.
Family history will put it on higher risk.
Gender and Hormone levels: In women, bone loss increases during menopause due to low estrogen levels. In men, bone loss increases due to low testosterone.
Eating disorders and other conditions: People who have anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa they are at higher risk of bone loss. Also, bariatric surgery and conditions like Crohn’s disease, celiac disease and Cushing’s disease can affect body’s ability to absorb calcium.
Smoking and tobacco leads to low bone mineral density, increased levels of the hormone (cortisol) leads to a bone break down and bone fractures.
Long term alcohol consumption interferes with bone growth and replacement of bone tissue.Alcohol consumption during adolescence reduces peak bone mass and can result in relatively weak adult bones that are more susceptible to fracture. In adults, alcohol consumption can disrupt the ongoing balance between the erosion and the remodelling of bone tissue, contributing to alcoholic bone disease.

This week we are celebrating International Yoga week. Bone health can further be strengthened with the help of Yoga.

Yoga strengthens the areas which are most likely to suffer such as the hips, spine, and wrists. Yoga can help maintain bone density of these body parts. Poses that focus on the spine can also help improve posture, preventing the stooping of the back.

Finally let’s not ignore the fact that healthy bones starts with early age. Take step towards being active and having good food to make your bones stronger. It’s never too late to start.

February 9, 2015 By Amrozia Sayyed 4 Comments

Preparing the body for pregnancy

Every couple desires to have a baby someday and all of them wish that from pregnancy to child-birth all goes well. Planning well is the key. Like as the saying goes-“The most important step of all is the first step” And therefore why not start the very first that is conception be on a healthy note!

Why do we only focus on women when she is pregnant why not when she is preparing to get pregnant. So that her pregnancy is smooth.

Here are the five importants things that should be looked upon to start with a healthy pregnancy and getting ready for a beautiful change in your life….

1 2 3…I wanna be fat free:

Before pregnancy, it is important to have a body weight close to your ideal body weight. During pregnancy on an average women gain 10-12 kg of weight which is required. While you are pregnant no doctor or health care professional will ask you to diet or follow a fat loss programme or low carb diet, etc. So better to start the best moments of your life with the best body.

Low body weight of women at reproductive age is mainly because of under supply of nutrients such as Vitamin A, E, C, Zinc seleniun, iron and folic acid, essential fatty acid etc which play an important role in fertility.

In overweight and obese women there is high fat storage which leads to hormonal imbalance one of the common reasons for infertility. Fat cell release estrogen (hormone) which delays ovulation and disturbs menstrual cycle and act as a natural birth control. Other condition associated with obese women and pregnancy is gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.

But, ladies all these can be managed with simplest remedy that is exercise and eating right…

So wanna be mummy get into those sports gear and start with your exercise…Your baby would love to see a healthy mom at his/her first glance.

Tip: Better to start with pregnancy with a healthy weight to give birth to a healthy baby and minimize the health risk too. Try to exercise at-least 3 days in a week.

Most wanted- Folic acid and iron:

Folic acid supplements before pregnancy is must. The neural tube formation that is crucial for brain development happens in the first four weeks of pregnancy. This is the stage where in most mothers are unaware that they are pregnant especially when it is an unplanned pregnancy. Hence, it is very much important for all women of reproductive age to replinish their folic acid daily.

To lower down the risk of neural tube defects one must take folic acid for at least three months before pregnancy and continue during pregnancy. Also along with supplements include food that are high in folate every day such as dark green leafy vegetable, beans, lentils, oranges etc.

Likewise iron is very much important to support the healthy development of the foetus. Due to increase blood volume during pregnancy it also increases the demand for iron in our body due to growing foetus. The better iron stores before pregnancy the better absorption of iron during pregnancy. Iron rich food includes whole grains, beans, red meat (but has saturated fats too), eggs and poultry etc.

Small tip: Better to have iron rich food with a Vitamin C source such as lemon water or amla which will aid in iron absorption. Also avoid caffeinated beverages.

Healthy omegas:

We live in a world where we are constantly surrounded by options in food which are fat rich junk and sugar filled caloric meals. Both ultimately contributes to fat storage in our body. Food such as meat, dairy products and many other processed food available in the market are high in saturated fat. It’s our choice or selection to get the good fat in our diet. Fatty acids rich in oily fish, nuts and oilseed are rich in essential fat that is omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These essential fats are required for proper functioning of hormones in the body. And a slight disturbance in hormones has a great impact which in turn will affect the menstrual cycle causing infertility. It is always good to opt for lean fat which is present in white meat rather than red meat which is again high in saturated fat. The processed meat is even worse because it comes with combination of high sodium contents along with preservative.

Tip: Make a mixture of sunflower seeds, flax seeds, almonds, pumpkin seed and sesame seeds and use it a our garnish for sprinkling over the salads. It has good amount of essential fat.

Get that dose of Antioxidants daily:

Antioxidant act like a defense system in our body to de-activate the free radical species and hence preventbody from damaging. These antioxidant protects the reproductive organs (ovum, eggs, etc) of a woman from damage by these radicals and ensure their normal functioning. The DNA is also protected from antioxidant which forms as a base to the child’s development.

Make sure the mother preparing for pregnancy makes a special note to count antioxidant rich food in their diet such as fresh colourful fruits and vegetables, nuts, etc

Keep away from stress :

It is the most important aspect which is mostly overlooked . High stress level can affect fertility too. Women who have delayed ovulation have high cortisol level which is a reason for infertility. Brain sends signals via hypothalamus to release hormones which will trigger ovulation. In women with high stress levels these signals are altered and thereby disturbed menstrual cycle and fertility.

Tip: At-least devote 5 min of your day to meditation, indulge in your hobbies, best to de-stress. Also first thing in the morning is to thinks how will you tackle your day, get a plan and then get in to action.

February 9, 2015 By Parwage Alam Leave a Comment

Exercising Too Much – Think Twice

Is too much exercise bad for you?

Many once have got on to the fitness path think that if they do too much of exercise they will achieve their goals faster. Is this true let’s find out?

It is always said that too much of good is also not very nice, including exercise. Too much of exercising is actually damaging.

Everyone believes that “Exercising is good for him/her, and that more exercising is considered better…”, this is a myth. The fact is that too much exercise could actually harm you rather than benefit you. In the excitement of doing too much exercise one does not realize they can harm themselves. You will end up facing problems related to physical and emotional conditions such as injuries, bone loss, muscle loss and sometimes even heart failure.

Adequate amount of exercise helps you to build good muscles. Then you become an “exercise freak”, same like the eating disorder. And, eventually you get devastating results.

You lose weight, yes, but not the way you should– your body goes into starvation mode and releases cortisol (Cortisol is produced by the adrenal glands in your body when you are under stress. Cortisol will increase production of a neurotransmitter called neuropeptide Y, which can increase cravings for sweet or starchy foods – bad for health and fitness).

Increased cortisol inhibits any fat metabolism and breaks your muscle mass — your body basically starts eating itself. So instead of becoming a lean, mean fitness machine, you find you’ve less strength and also a weakened immune system.

Make no mistake about it, regular exercise is probably is the biggest factor in living a long and healthy life (not discounting healthy eating).

Here are several ways to tell that you’re working out too hard or Effect of too much Exercise can lead to:

Dizziness
Trouble breathing or maintaining a conversation
Disorientation, foggy mental processing
Rapid heart beat
Dehydration
Injuries
Loss of lean muscle mass
Heart failure in the absence of proper nutrition. Your heart is a muscle and over exercising could weaken it, leading to potential failure
Weakened immune system
Cessation of menstrual cycles, a condition known as amenorrhea
Research shows that many female athletes who over train begin to experience bone loss that apparently can’t be reversed if the amenorrhea persists long enough.
Sleep disorder
Eating disorder such as anorexia
Irritability, depression and low self esteem

Here is a checklist which will help you judge on your own if you are doing too much exercise:

Make up for one missed workout by doubling it the next session
You will force yourself even when you don’t want to
When you over eat, you prefer to exercise to burn all extra calories
You set the intensity of your exercise based on your food intake
You might feel guilty when you miss your exercise session
You become very upset if you miss a workout
You always have a fear that you’ll gain weight if you miss the exercise session for a day
You will miss the pleasure during exercise
You can’t bring yourself to take a day off from exercise

So the next time you go to exercise stop worrying. Just have fun and enjoy your workout.

November 21, 2014 By Ami Shah 2 Comments

Secrets of brown rice!

It’s always said that cut down on fat and you would slim down. But, I have observed that many people despite cutting down on fat, still put on weight. The reason for this is simple carbohydrates which Indian population gorges on without knowing the facts.

Indian diets comprises more of simple carbohydrates which mainly consists of white rice, sugar, maida. There is definitely a substitute for everything.

Let’s talk about how beneficial brown rice is over white rice! The difference between white and brown rice is not that of colour alone but there is lot more to it.

How Brown rice gets converted to white rice?

The outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce brown rice. This process avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing. If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ layer, the result is a whiter rice, but also a rice that has lost many more nutrients. At this point, however, the rice is still unpolished, and it takes polishing to produce the white rice we consume.

Benefits of Brown Rice:

Rich in Selenium: A trace mineral which reduces the risk for common illness like colon cancer.

High in manganese: One cup of brown rice provides 80% of our daily manganese requirements. Manganese helps the body synthesize fats. Manganese also benefits our nervous and reproductive systems.

High in fiber: It is packed with fiber! It has been shown to reduce high cholesterol levels. It also keeps your sugar under control so brown rice is an excellent grain choice for people with diabetes. You feel satiated after eating brown rice as it is high in fiber so you tend to eat lesser in the meal, thus portion size comes into the picture.

Protection against breast cancer: The pytonutrient Lignin present in brown rice known to inhibit the growth of breast cancerous cells.

Healthy bowel function: Brown rice contains good amounts of insoluble fibre that stays in the gut and aids digestion and prevents constipation.
Great source of Magnesium: Magnesium is thought to be a key nutrient needed for healthy bones along with calcium and vitamin D.

To summarize, brown rice is a healthy substitute which is packed with whole lot of antioxidants and micro-nutrients than white rice.